Lego Ninjago Movie- Cole's Story
by Crumbelina's Sweet Admirer
Summary: Cole's had a rough life since his father learned he was a ninja, and has had a grudge against him ever since. Ever since Lloyd quit being the ninja leader, Cole's taken over that responsibility. Will Cole take leading the ninjas seriously? Humanized AU. Jayashipping and Glaciershipping. No flames! I do not own Lego Ninjago. Rated T for violence and coarse language.
1. Chapter 1

_Twelve Years Earlier (Cole at Age 6)_

"Dad! I told you I don't want to be a dancer! Why won't you listen to me?" Cole said as his dad drives up to the Marty Oppenheimer School Of Dance in Ninjago City.

"Cole, we've been over this. You're gonna be a dancer just like I was back in the day." Lou Brookstone says as he turns the car off and opens the door for Cole to get out. "You're gonna make me so proud!"

"Dad! I'm not going to get anything out of this, and we both know it!" Cole gets out of the car, a scowl on his face. "I already said I was gonna be a DJ someday to make people dance, not a dancer dancing in a goofy costume for people that will just gawk at me and tell me I'm adorable!"

"Cole, why can't you be reasonable? At least give it a try, for me?" Lou says as he hugs his son.

"Fiiiiine..." Cole says as he grabs his backpack and walks toward the school, mumbling to himself. "But I won't like it..."

As soon as he's sure Cole is gone, Lou drives away, satisfied.

* * *

 _Several Years Later (Cole at Age 18)_

(Cole's POV)

It's another day in Ninjago City, and I'm just waking up. School would be starting soon, and I still had to eat my breakfast. But before I eat, I have to do my daily workout and then take a shower.

I look at the picture of me and my dad, and I scowl. Ever since the day I told my dad I was a ninja, me and him haven't been getting along, and I don't ever talk to him at all. And if I do talk to him, it's very rare. I hate my dad, and I know he hates me for being a ninja, but I really don't care.

I turn on my rock music and start working out for the required 30 minutes that's required for my ninja training. As I work out, I think about my friends. They're pretty great and I enjoy being with them.

First, there's Nya, Kai's sister. She's pretty much the best at everything, and is often arguing with her brother, and when it comes to their arguments, Nya's always winning. She knows water is better than fire, she has more fans than Kai, and she's the best at being humble. Her Water Strider is one of the best mechs because it floats on water and it helps her cover a lot more ground.

Jay's always got his head in the clouds. He has pretty sweet ninja skills, but he seriously needs to chill. He's always chatty and outgoing and always ready to crack a joke or two, but his head is filled with doubts like if his ninja skills aren't up to scratch or if he's not a good enough ninja. Jay is an expert with his spiked flail and is pretty good in combat. His biggest worries are letting us down, upsetting Nya, and people finding out about his mom's seashell collection. He also loves to look cute and take selfies of himself, and he also posts them on the internet, earning him a lot of fans. His Electric Jaybird really takes to the skies in battle, and even I can see he's got his head in the clouds, literally and figuratively.

Kai is a hothead who's hot on the battlefield. He likes talking about himself and he's always rushing into things and taking crazy risks. He often puts us in danger because of all the risks he takes. Kai loves to try new foods, whether it's sushi, tacos, or croissants. His Fire Mech is pretty hot in battle.

Zane takes the term "chill out" to an extreme, since he's known as the Ice Ninja. He is good at archery when it comes to battling, and he's also a robot, a video player, and a walking calculator. He's a good friend and companion in good and bad times. He often laughs at things that aren't funny, but I know he's only learning how to be a real teen like me and the other ninjas. He's got special robot skills such as recognizing emotions, keeping quiet, and instant calculations. His Ice Tank is the coolest mech out there, literally.

Lloyd retired as leader a few years ago. His life is way harder than mine. His dad left when he was only a baby, and had to grow up without him, which left him depending on his mom a lot throughout his childhood. The whole city holds his father against him, shaming him for being related to our worst enemy. Everyone at school knows he's the worst and wishes he would just leave, but not me or the other ninjas, as we accepted him for who he was. He wakes up every day, wishing he wasn't related to Garmadon, but he knows the insults and shaming won't ever stop. His Mech Dragon is really the coolest mech and it makes me jealous.

As for me, I'm strong, but not exactly silent. I hone my body with vigorous workouts, which I'm doing right now. I'm a guy of few words, but my cool and calm presence lets the others know I'm right beside them in times of trouble. Well, that, and my loud music. I'm so good at DJ'ing in battle and at parties throughout Ninjago. At school or in battle, I usually have my headphones on, listening to rock music. I lay down my own tracks, and I even make my own mix CD's. I also live for styling my man-bun, and I never forget to take a selfie to show off when my hair looks so ninja! I take more selfies than Jay, and that's no lie, that's a fact! My Quake Mech rocks, especially since I drop the bass in battle, sending our enemies to the ground!

I finish my workout and look at the clock, and see it's 7:50 a.m., so I shower quickly, and put on my blue AC/DC tank top, skinny black jeans, black socks, and my black sneakers. I grab my boombox, my books, and my headphones, and run out to catch the bus for school.


	2. Chapter 2- The Birthday Boy, Part 1

Cole arrives at school, seeing the normal cliques in their places around the school courtyard. He just keeps walking as he observes all the clique activities.

The geeks are starting a game of Castles & Knights, a popular role-playing game around Ninjago City. Cole knew about the game, but never showed an interest in playing it.

The jocks are seen playing an impromptu game of football, while the cheerleaders are watching them with extreme interest.

The thespians are talking about the school musical coming up, which is that Seussical thing that's been advertised all over the school for weeks. Cole knows the play is coming up, but doesn't plan to go since plays aren't his thing.

The skaters are doing tricks off the school's stairwell, and trying not to get caught. Cole chuckles lightly at the fact that he used to be one of them, but no longer wishes to associate himself with them.

The hipsters with their vintage clothing and cups of Starbucks coffee are just standing in their own little group, talking about the next trend to make them become "cool" before it becomes "uncool". Cole scoffs at the group before he keeps walking.

The preps are talking about a party that's being held at the hottest club in Ninjago City that night, talking about what to wear, who's not invited, and who's gonna be there. Cole often DJ's these parties and really is the life of these parties, but knows he has other plans tonight.

The mean girls of NHS are standing on the school steps, gossiping about who-knows-what and talking about the newest dress line by a well-known designer, hoping to get new dresses with their next allowance.

* * *

(Cole's POV)

I managed to get past the school cliques as I head inside the school and head to my locker to get my books for my first class of the day.

Zane, the robot of the ninja group, walks up next to me and gives me a somewhat tight side-hug with a huge smile on his face.

"Hello, fellow teenager!" Zane says with enough enthusiasm in his voice, his smile looking a little less creepy for a change.

"Zane, for God's sake..." I say as I manage to free myself from his grip. "Hello all the same, I suppose. What's with the tight side-hug?" I then turn to put my backpack in my locker.

"Well, my sensors do indicate that today's a pretty important day for you, fellow teenager." Zane says as he watches me put my backpack in my locker and sees me grabbing my history book before I shut my locker and start playing rock music on my boombox.

"Important day, you say? What important day are you referring to?" I say as I then look at Zane with a serious look on my face.

"Well, it appears to me that you were born on this very day." Zane says, smiling at me. "Today's your birthday."

I look at Zane as I blush furiously and look down at my sneakered feet. "Who told you?" I ask the nindroid. "How did you know it was my birthday today?"

"I've always known. No one told me." Zane says with that big smile on his face. "I did tell the other ninjas, however."

"You did WHAT?!" I practically yell, the other students looking in our direction. "You know I don't like it when the others know it's my birthday...Kai will give me a tight hug like you did, Nya will insist on throwing me a party, Jay will be all over me and fussing over what I should wear for this special day, Lloyd will want to bring candy of all sorts, and of course, you always make me a birthday cake..."

"Was I not supposed to tell them? Oops..." Zane says, chuckling lightly and pecking me on the cheek. "Well, happy birthday all the same, Coley."

I cringe a little at the name Zane just called me, and I do nothing but lightly peck his cheek. He's called me Coley so much, that it just stuck itself into his programming. I sorta like it when he calls me that.

"Thanks, Zane." I say with a slight smile on my face.

* * *

Lloyd walks into the school, seeing Zane and Cole standing next to each other by Cole's locker. He walks up to the two of them.

"Well, hello, you two." Lloyd smiles as he opens his own locker. "I take it Zane told you it was your birthday, Cole?"

"Yeah, he kinda did. But it's okay. I'm not _too_ mad at him." Cole still blushes as he starts to listen to his music.

Nya and Kai come into the school, Nya without her motorcycle for a change. Kai spots Cole and runs up to him with a huge smile on his face.

"Bro, time for your birthday hug!" Kai says as he picks Cole up and embraces him in a tight hug.

"Kai!" Cole says, nearly scared out of his mind. "Oh, my God, I can't BREATHE! I can't BREATHE!"

Jay scurries up to the group and sees Kai holding Cole in a deathly tight grip, the earth ninja gasping for air.

"Kai, come on, put him down..." Jay says, trying to free Cole from Kai's tight grip on him.

Kai looks at Jay. "But he needs a birthday hug!" Kai protests as he tries to hug Cole tighter.

Jay folds his arms. "Put. Him. Down. Right now. Or I tell Nya who really ate all her chocolates."

Kai looks down in defeat and sets Cole on the ground. "Fine. You win."

Cole breathes in and out, trying to regain the breath he lost. "You almost killed me, Kai."

"Sorry." Kai says, ashamed as he gets his books out of his locker and playfully ruffles the earth ninja's hair.

Soon, the bell rings and the six ninjas head to history class.

* * *

(Cole's POV)

In history class, the teacher is talking about some kind of historical event that was important so long ago, but I'm not paying much attention as I have my headphones on and I'm just listening to my music.

I see Kai sleeping at his desk, Lloyd wearing his hood on his head because some of the other students are whispering about him, Jay and Nya making out in the back of the room, and Zane taking notes in his notebook.

Just as the teacher gets to the important part of her lesson, the Garmadon alarm sounds so loudly, I have to take off my earphones and get up from my seat. That alarm means Garmadon's attacking the city once again.

"Thanks a lot, Lloyd..." the students say as Lloyd just looks more ashamed.

"All right, everyone, assume your positions under your desks and try not to panic!" my history teacher says as the students do so and me and the others ask for bathroom passes. She gives us the passes and the six of us race through the halls to our lockers.

* * *

Cole, Lloyd, Zane, Jay, Kai, and Nya jump out of their lockers and run toward their mechs.

"All right, ninjas, shout out those call signs!" Cole says as he stands next to his mech. "Kai, light it up!"

Kai jumps into the Fireman Mech and smiles. "Fire Mech, so ninja!" he says as he shoots fire from it and the mech confirms that the Fireman Mech is ignited. "You're up, sis!"

Nya jumps into the Water Strider and assumes her starting position inside her mech. "Water Mech, ready and standing by." she says with a confident smile on her face.

"It's all you, Zane!" Cole says, smiling at his boyfriend.

Zane switches into his white ninja outfit and jumps into his Ice Tank, starting to load his battle programming.

"Ready to kick some butt, Lloyd?" Cole says as Lloyd runs over to his mech.

Lloyd jumps into his Mech Dragon and starts it up. "Green Ninja, ready and standing by!" he says as he blows green fire from the mouth of his mech.

"All right, Jay, it's your turn!" Cole says to the blue ninja, who's trying to hold it together.

Jay jumps into the Electric Jaybird, trying to adjust himself accordingly. "Almost there...oh, come on, come on, come on...there! Blue Ninja ready!" he says as he adjusts his ninja hood.

Cole finally jumps into his Quake Mech and sits inside it as he gets his "Quake Mix" records into the right positions. "Turntables are at 33 1/3 rpm." the mech tells him.

"All right, ninjas, let's do this! Let's kick Garmadon's butt and send him back into the volcano he came from!" Cole says with a confident smile. "Let's move out!"

And with that, the ninjas take off for Ninjago City, ready to fight Garmadon once again.


	3. Chapter 3- The Birthday Boy, Part 2

The ninjas arrive in Ninjago City to see the Shark Army destroying the city, with Garmadon nowhere in sight.

"All right, here's the plan. Me, Nya, and Zane will cover the ground while Lloyd, Kai, and Jay cover the air." Cole says as he puts his mech in park.

Lloyd, Kai, and Jay nod in agreement with Cole's plan and take to the skies of Ninjago City, leaving Cole, Nya, and Zane to take down the members of the Shark Army that are attacking on the ground and in the water.

Cole starts his Quake Mech and uses his turntables to take down his enemies, but can't help thinking about his job as a leader. Sure, being leader was a big responsibility and all, but sometimes the ninjas didn't always follow through with Cole's orders and Zane was always dependent on him to teach him how to be a real teenager like the others. The others, however, looked up to him like a father figure.

"Cole? Are you all right?" Zane turns to look at Cole, who had already taken down his share of enemies, and was just sitting in his mech, lost in thought. "You seem lost in your thoughts."

Cole looks down at Zane, who's shooting ice beams at his share of enemies, but sees he stopped upon seeing his distraught face.

"Oh, I'm fine. Never better." Cole fakes a smile for Zane, who seems unconvinced that Cole is anything but fine.

Zane looks at Cole. "Please tell me why you seem so lost in your thoughts. I'm here for you."

Cole looks at Zane, trying to hide his tears.

"I...I..." Cole tries to say something, but starts to cry again.

"You can tell me after we finish here. Don't worry." Zane says to Cole, who still looks upset. "Let's focus on finishing the fight."

Cole nods and starts fighting more members of the Shark Army.

* * *

After the fight, the ninjas head back to the warehouse where they store their mechs, and power their mechs down.

Cole climbs out of his mech and sits on the couch, putting his earphones on as he turns on his rock music. Zane walks over to where Cole is and sits next to him.

"Cole, you want to talk about why you were lost in thought?" Zane says, taking Cole's earphones off his ears. "Talking about it will help."

Cole looks at the Nindroid, then realizes he's right. Talking about it _will_ help. It would do no good to hold in his feelings.

"I was thinking about being the new ninja leader. How you always depend on me to teach you teenage things and how the others look up to me..." Cole says as he feels tears roll down his face. "And how my dad probably still hates me..."

Zane puts an arm around Cole. "Fellow teenager, I know how you feel. But I do know that you are a great leader."

"How so?" Cole sniffles, looking at Zane.

"I can't really say too much, but I do know you have all these plans that we may not always follow through with, but we try our best. And I do appreciate your teachings. Why, without you teaching me to be a teenager, I would have never learned what high school was like. And let's be real, I learned to like school and I started making friends with you and the others." Zane says, smiling reassuringly at Cole.

Cole smiles and gently pats Zane's head. "You always know the right things to say."

"I try." Zane says, smiling back at Cole. "Hey, it's still your birthday..."

Cole realizes this and smiles a little bigger. "It is. Why are you telling me this?"

"You'll see why. Just step outside for a minute, okay?" Zane says, smiling at Cole.

"All right." Cole gets up and quietly walks outside, going to the docks outside the warehouse.

* * *

Moments later, Cole enters the warehouse, which is strangely dark. The Earth Ninja starts to search for the switch that turns on the lights, but the lights come on almost immediately.

"SURPRISE!" Jay, Kai, Nya, Lloyd, and Zane are all standing behind a table filled with candy, cookies, ice cream, and a cake with 18 candles glowing on it, obviously made by Zane. Five brightly wrapped gifts sit on the couch, waiting to be opened by Cole.

"Wh-What is all this?!" Cole says, looking very surprised.

Zane smiles at Cole. "You didn't think I would let your birthday go by without a proper celebration? You deserve it for being a great friend and leader."

Jay smiles and puts a party hat on Cole's head. "You really do deserve it. You're a great leader, Cole. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

Cole smiles, hardly knowing what to say. "You guys..." he says as he looks at the cake Zane made, the candlelight from the 18 glowing candles illuminating Cole's happy face.

"So, are you gonna make a wish?" Nya says, looking at Cole.

"I've already got it." Cole says as he blows out all 18 candles in one single breath. "But as birthday law states, I can't say my birthday wish out loud."

Zane starts cutting the cake. "I hope your birthday wish comes true, Cole."

"I hope so, too." Cole says as he takes the first piece of cake and eats it with some vanilla ice cream.

"Why don't you open your gifts?" Kai says to Cole. "I think you'll really like mine."

"Sure." Cole puts the rest of his uneaten cake aside as he picks up Kai's gift and opens it.

"So? Do you like it?" Kai asks Cole.

Cole smiles. "I love it. I was needing new headphones, thank you."

"You're welcome." Kai says to Cole.

Cole then opens his other gifts. He recieves a new uniform and headband from Nya, a box full of his favorite candy from Lloyd, a professional-looking art set from Jay, and a dog tag necklace from Zane that says "I love you forever, Coley. You're a great leader and an even greater friend."

Cole tears up as he reads the inscription on the necklace, then puts it on. "Thanks, guys. Especially you, Zane."

"Think nothing of it. Like I said, you deserve it." Zane says to Cole, who then hugs the Nindroid tightly.

"This is the best birthday of my life..." Cole says as he keeps hugging Zane.

* * *

After the party, Cole arrives home to see the front door unlocked.

"I swear I locked the door before I left earlier..." Cole walks into the house, and sees black and white streamers crisscrossing the ceiling as well as a banner that says "Happy 18th Birthday, Cole!"

"What the hell is all this?!" Cole says as he throws his backpack into his coat closet. He then goes into the kitchen, where he gets the shock of his life.

He sees someone sitting at the kitchen table with a chocolate cake that has #1 and #8 candles on it, already lit.

"Who's there?" Cole says as he gets closer to whoever it is.

"Hello, Cole." The figure stands up and gets closer to Cole. "It's me. Your father."

Cole's jaw drops as he looks at his father face-to-face.

"I warned you about being a ninja. You were destined to be a dancer." Lou says as he looks at Cole.

"You come here after so long, and that's all you're here for?!" Cole glares at his father. "You can't ever understand that being a ninja is my destiny!"

"Cole." Lou says to Cole. "Can't we talk about this over some cake?"

Cole shakes his head. "You said I would like being a dancer. But I got it all wrong when I went off to find myself all those years ago. And now I'm a ninja, a leader to top that off. I don't want to hear anything you have to say anymore. TAKE THIS CAKE AND SHOVE IT!" Cole proceeds with slamming Lou's face into the thick chocolate cake and throwing him out his front door. "AND DON'T COME BACK!" Cole slams the door in Lou's face.

The earth ninja then takes the rest of the cake and a fork into the living room and turns on the TV, watching a music show as he eats what's left of the cake.

"Happy Birthday to me, indeed." Cole says, smiling as he looks at the dog tag necklace Zane gave him.


	4. Chapter 4- Kindness For Christmas?

(A Few Months Later- In December)

Cole wakes up in his bedroom, looking around at all the posters of rock bands hanging around his room before getting out of bed. One poster his eyes stop on is the poster of "The Royal Blacksmiths", which was his dad's dance group. At the sight of the picture, Cole then walks up to the poster and starts to yell at it.

"I'm not following in your footsteps! I never have and I never will! You just wanted to put me on a pedestal, a pedestal where all your little dance friends would watch me try that whole 'Triple Tiger Sashay' thing in front of them. I'm not like that anymore! I'M A NINJA AND YOU CAN'T DO A THING ABOUT IT!" Cole yells as he rips down the poster and throws it into his wastebasket. "Stay out of my life and out of my way!"

The earth ninja then gets dressed and puts on his snow boots before grabbing a chocolate chip granola bar and his backpack for school, then walks out the door into a snow-covered and holiday-crazed Ninjago City.

* * *

At Ninjago High School, Cole meets his friends by their lockers, the other five ninjas looking in Cole's direction, still dressed in their winter clothes. The school itself was decorated for Christmas, red and green paper chains and fake pine garlands decorating the halls and all the classroom doors showing holiday spirit through their decorated splendor, and most of the classrooms have Christmas trees inside them, laden with a few modest gifts for the students and staff.

"Ooooh, I'm so cold, even though I'm wearing my winter coat and everything..." Jay says as he takes off his puffy blue winter coat and light blue hat with the matching gloves. "I love winter, sure, but why does it have to be so cold?" He then folds his hat after tucking his gloves into it, and puts it in his locker along with his coat.

Zane takes off his coat and hangs it up in his locker. "I don't feel it too much. But I'm the Ice Ninja, so I shouldn't be too bothered by the bitter winter cold. The cold temperatures would just make my powers more effective, anyway." The Nindroid then spots Cole, who removes his coat, gloves, hat, scarf, and snow boots before noticing Zane.

"Oh, hey, Zane. What's up?" Cole says as he sees Zane smiling at him.

"You seem tense. Something wrong?" Zane says as he continues to look at Cole.

Cole shakes his head. "It's nothing. Really. You should be more concerned with your own affairs."

The bell rings for school to start, so the six ninjas head off to class in silence, Cole tuning out the pre-class hallway chatter with his headphones.

* * *

In class, Cole sits in his desk in his usual position, where he crosses his feet on top of his desk and tunes out the teacher's lecture by listening to his rock music. He gazes around to see Jay and Nya making out, Kai pretending not to care, Lloyd hiding his head under his hood, and Zane intently taking notes in his notebook and adding the data to his database.

Cole then sighs and looks at the board as the teacher continues to talk. But the teacher then finishes the lecture and starts to talk about something else, and Cole then takes off his headphones long enough to listen.

"As you know, Christmas is just around the corner. There's a tradition here at Ninjago High School, and it's called 'Secret Snowflakes'. Throughout the next few weeks, you'll do something kind for a fellow classmate or classmates, whether it's offering to buy them lunch or even getting them a special gift or holiday card to show you care. This tradition helps us realize that kindness counts this time of year." the teacher says as she smiles at the students. "So, be thinking of ways to be kind to your friends here at school. Write 'From Your Secret Snowflake' if you sign your cards or gift tags."

Cole starts to think about what he could do for Zane and the other ninjas. He _was_ their leader, after all, and they do so much for him.

* * *

After school at the ninja headquarters, the ninjas are all doing their exercises and tuning up their mechs.

"Jay, what do you think of this whole 'Secret Snowflake' tradition at school?" Cole asks him. Jay pokes his head out from the hood of the Electric Jaybird and looks at the earth ninja.

"Well, I think the tradition is pretty good myself. I've learned that kindness really _does_ count during the holidays. And that I can show my fellow classmates and friends that exact same kindness by showing my sensitive side." Jay says as he goes back to working on his mech.

That gives Cole a lot to think about as he starts working on his Quake Mech.


	5. Chapter 5- Jay's Life Is About To Change

A week after the "Secret Snowflake" thing was announced at Ninjago High School, Cole walks into the school, and sees students putting gifts and cards into other students' lockers as he heads toward his friends' lockers. He had worked on cards and gifts for his friends most of the night.

He then approaches his friends' lockers and starts delivering gifts to the five lockers adjacent to his. He had really put a lot of thought into these gifts, which was an ocean blue bead bracelet for Nya, a hand-knit lightning scarf for Jay, homemade candy for Lloyd, a hot sauce sampler for Kai, and a dog tag necklace with the words "You complete me." for Zane. He then slips their cards into their lockers just as his friends arrive, with Nya and Kai hanging on to a crying Jay.

"Hey, guys. What's wrong with Jay?" Cole looks at Jay with a concerned look on his face.

"Jay just found out his parents are getting divorced." Nya says while holding Jay's hand. "He literally found out when me and Kai went to his place to walk with him to school this morning."

Kai nods. "That means that he'll be moving to another part of Ninjago City with his mom and not see his dad ever again."

Jay tearfully looks at the group. "There's more."

Cole looks at Jay. "What's that?"

Jay sniffles and tells them, "I might have to leave Ninjago High. My mom wants to send me to private school."

Nya looks at Jay. "What? Why?"

"My mom thinks it'll be good for me." Jay says sadly.

Nya just hugs Jay tightly as she silently cries herself.

Soon, the bell rings for class to start, and the six ninjas just gather their books, along with their things from Cole, and they head to class.

* * *

At lunch time that day, Nya, Jay, Cole, Zane, Lloyd, and Kai all sit at their usual table with their lunches. Cole digs into his salad as the others start eating from their lunch trays.

"Did you guys get your gifts?" Cole asks them.

"Oh, of course! I love the candy!" Lloyd says, smiling. "It tastes amazing!"

"This bracelet is amazing." Nya says as she puts it on.

"And you complete me as well, Coley." Zane says as he puts on his dog tag necklace.

"You know me so well!" Kai says as he pulls out a small bottle of hot sauce to put on his noodles. "I live for spice!"

"This scarf is so warm, and it's perfect..." Jay says with a small smile as he replaces his orange scarf with the scarf Cole knit for him.

Cole looks at the five ninjas. "I care about you guys a lot. I hope you know that. As your leader, I want to show that I'm more than just the team leader. I also want to show that I care about my team and will do anything for them."

"You do so much for us, Cole, that much is true." Kai says as he eats his hot sauce-covered noodles.

"Repairing our mechs, giving us much-needed advice, helping us through tough fights, and letting us know you're there." Nya lists off a few things, smiling. "And being strong for us when we're down and out."

Jay looks tearfully at Cole. "I just...I...I appreciate all you do for us, Cole. That being said, could I ask you a favor?"

"Of course, it's what I'm here for." Cole says with a smile.

"Could you come home with me and help me pack? And keep me company, too? I really need someone to talk to, and Nya's going to be busy with Kai after school." Jay says, looking at Cole.

Cole nods and smiles at Jay. "Of course. I will be happy to help."

Jay hugs Cole. "Thank you, oh, just thank you!"

Cole just smiles at the Lightning Ninja.

* * *

After school, Jay and Cole walk to Jay's house, which is obviously a white house with a blue shingled roof and a garden full of vividly-colored holly bushes. Jay and Cole walk into the house and go straight up to Jay's room to get started with the packing.

Jay starts to put some of his books into a box, tears escaping his eyes.

Cole looks at Jay as he starts packing some of Jay's photo albums into another box. "It's going to be okay. I'm not going to forget you."

Jay looks back at Cole. "It's just hard, you know? I've never had to go through this thing called divorce before. Living with my mom is going to be a huge adjustment. But what hurts me more is that I might not be able to be on the team anymore, and that I may never see Nya again."

Cole looks at Jay, and puts an arm around him. "You're a valued member of the team, and I know you can be brave through all of this, Jay. I believe in you, and I know that everyone else does, too. And it's not like you can't write or video chat with Nya from time to time. She still loves you, and she'll love you through this, too. We're here for you, Jay. We'll always be here for you. And your spot on the team will always be open for when you want to fight alongside us again."

Jay manages a small smile as he looks at Cole. "That means a lot. You're a team leader I can really look up to, and I'll still look up to you even when I'm far away."

Cole hugs Jay tightly. "And I'll keep encouraging you, no matter what."

Jay hugs Cole back as the two of them continue to pack boxes.

* * *

Nya, Kai, Lloyd, and Zane are at the local coffeehouse, drinking hot chocolate and talking about what they can do for Jay before he leaves.

"I was thinking we could give him a going away party, just to show him that we'll truly miss him." Lloyd says, sipping his hot chocolate.

"But where should we host the party?" Nya asks Lloyd.

"What about the ninja monastery?" Kai suggests. "It would be perfect, and Jay would be able to spar with us and maybe go through the training course for old times' sake."

Lloyd nods. "I'll talk to Uncle Wu about using it for the party. I'm sure he'll be okay with it."

Zane looks at Nya. "I could make a slideshow about Jay. I have plenty of images and fight footage of Jay I could use, and it would really make the party all about him."

Nya smiles at the robot. "That sounds perfect, Zane! I think Jay would love that."

Kai looks at Nya while eating a croissant. "What about food? A party isn't complete without it."

Nya looks at Kai. "We'll make all of Jay's favorites, and even make a cake that looks like his mech! He'll love it!"

"But who's gonna make that cake?" Lloyd asks Nya.

"I can, fellow teenager." Zane says, looking at Lloyd and Nya. "It can't be that hard."

Nya smiles. "It's settled. We better get to planning this party. We don't have a lot of time before Jay leaves in a few days."

The four ninjas nod in agreement and get started with planning the party for Jay.


	6. Chapter 6- It's Hard To Say Goodbye

(The day before Jay's big move)

Cole is at the ninja monastery, setting up for Jay's going away party, along with the other ninjas. Master Wu had agreed to hosting Jay's party there, so he had also decided to contribute something to the party, that being some of his famous tea and his amazing flute skills.

"Jay's going to love this!" Nya says, smiling. "Jay does deserve it all...he's gone through so much already."

"Don't I know it, sis. Jay is our friend, and he needs so much support from us. But the question is, will he still fight alongside us when Garmadon attacks the city? Our fights won't be the same without him if he can't be there." Kai says as he helps Lloyd set out the party food.

"Jay's still the Lightning Ninja, whether he's near us or not." Cole says as he finishes helping Zane with the cake. "So, are we ready for Jay yet? I just got a text back from him."

Lloyd looks around the decorated room and sees the tables full of food and dessert, then nods to Cole.

"We're ready for him." Lloyd says as he takes his position behind one of the chairs.

Cole steps out to greet Jay with a smile on his face.

"I got your text, Cole. It sounded urgent. What's going on? Is Garmadon attacking the city again?" Jay says, looking at Cole.

"No, no, nothing like that. The other ninjas wanted to show you something." Cole says as he smiles at Jay, walking him into the monastery.

"Oh, what do they have to show me?" Jay says, running his hand through his thick brown hair before finding the light switch.

"SURPRISE! We'll miss you, Jay!" the other ninjas shout happily to the Lightning Ninja, who's overcome with shock.

"You guys! I don't know what to say..." Jay says as he looks around at everything. "You did all this for me?"

"Of course!" Lloyd says, smiling. "We wanted to show you how much you'll be missed."

"We love you, Jay! You're the best ninja! Next to me, of course." Kai says as he ruffles Jay's hair.

"Now, let's really start this party!" Nya says with a smile. "Jay's here, and now we can have fun!"

* * *

The party is in full swing, with everyone having a great time dancing to Master Wu's high-energy flute playing and enjoying the food as well as the slideshow Zane put together. Jay, however, sits on the couch, lost in thought.

"Something on your mind?" Cole says, sitting next to Jay.

"Oh, Cole...no, it's nothing. Really." Jay says, turning to face Cole.

"Are you enjoying your party?" Cole asks, eating a chocolate chip cookie.

"Oh, yeah, it's pretty great! You guys really went all out for me, and I do appreciate it." Jay says, smiling.

"Well, we're about to cut your cake, if you'd like to join us." Cole says, offering his hand to Jay.

Jay nods and takes Cole's hand, following him to the dessert table, where the Electric Jaybird cake sits in the center of it, ready to be cut and eaten.

"This looks so great! Looks exactly like my mech!" Jay says excitedly as he takes a picture of it with his camera. "I can't wait to have a big piece of this cake! Who made it?"

"I made it, fellow teenager." Zane says, smiling. "I'm glad you like it!"

"Cut the cake! Cut the cake!" Kai says excitedly, holding out his plate and smiling.

"Oh, of course!" Jay smiles and cuts the Electric Jaybird cake. As everyone receives their cake, Jay's thoughts start to race again.

"I know I'm going to be part of the team, no matter where I am...but I'm wondering if Nya is really going to miss me. I love her to death and can't really imagine life without her." Jay thinks to himself. "I'll miss her more than I'll miss the other ninjas. But I fear that she won't miss me back."

As the party progresses, Jay's smile fades more and more. Cole decides to talk to Nya himself as Zane and Lloyd take Jay to the training course for sparring and a course run to take his mind off of things.

* * *

"Nya, can we talk?" Cole asks her.

"Sure, what about?" Nya replies as she gets another piece of the Electric Jaybird cake.

"It's about Jay. He's thinking you won't miss him when he moves out of our part of the city." Cole says, a serious look on his face.

Nya sighs, then looks up at Cole. "I am going to miss him. Honest. But I really don't want him to leave. We've been close for a while, and we just went steady in our freshman year of high school. We're in our senior year of high school, and I envisioned so much for us after high school. Me and Jay would go to the same college and still be part of the team, then we would settle down, get married...but now that he's moving, it's hard to see all that happening now..." Nya says, starting to cry.

"Nya, Jay still loves you with all his heart. And I know that he's going to miss you terribly. But nothing is going to stop you from texting him, calling him, and video chatting with him every now and then. And I'm sure Jay would love it if you came to visit, too. We can all pay him a visit once he's settled. And as for the future you planned for you and Jay, that future is still definitely in reach! He'll still be a part of the team, and I'm sure you two will still go to the same college. And I know you two will get married someday. You have no need to worry about that." Cole says with a reassuring smile.

"I just want to know that Jay will be safe." Nya says. "This is the first time I'll be going to Ninjago High without him by my side." Nya says, sniffling.

"You have us, Nya. And Kai will be by your side. Your brother knows you have a lot going on and is willing to stand by you, no matter what." Cole says, smiling at Nya. "Now, let's get back to the party. I'm sure Jay is done with his course run and has done his sparring with Zane and Lloyd by now."

Nya nods and heads back to the party with Cole.

* * *

After the party, Nya walks with Jay back to his house. Jay can see Nya is feeling sad, so he decides to talk to her.

"Hey, Nya?" Jay says as he looks at his girlfriend.

"What is it?" Nya replies, tears still in her eyes.

"Is something wrong? You've been upset since the party ended an hour ago." Jay says, taking her hand and looking into her eyes.

"I...I'm really going to miss you, Jay!" Nya says, bursting into tears.

"I'm going to miss you, too, Nya. I want tonight to be about us. Just us. I want our last night together to be special. My parents don't have to know, since I won't tell them I was out past my curfew." Jay says reassuringly as they climb up to the roof of Nya and Kai's apartment building. The two of them sit on the rooftop patio, on a bench in front of a flowered brick wall, snow-white roses blooming on said wall. Jay picks one of the newly bloomed roses and hands it to Nya.

"Nya, my love for you is just like this rose. It tells me of your endless beauty and how wonderful I think you are." Jay says, smiling warmly at her.

"Oh, Jay, you say the sweetest things..." Nya says, looking into Jay's eyes as she smiles back.

"Nya, I want to say that I can't imagine life without you. It's going to be so hard to be apart from you, but I'll dream of you and make sure to keep in touch with you every day. That's a promise." Jay says to Nya.

"I'll keep in touch with you as well." Nya says, still smiling at Jay.

"Now, how about we make this night a little bit more special?" Jay asks, smiling as he pulls out a bottle of sparkling apple cider and two cups, and he pours said drink into the cups. He then raises his cup into the air. "A toast...to us. To our future and what's to come!"

Jay and Nya clink glasses and drink their cider. Jay starts making out with Nya on the bench, and Nya falls into Jay's kiss, still smiling. Their make out session goes on for an hour, and Nya comes up for air, still smiling.

"I have something for you to remember me by." Jay says as he takes off his orange scarf and puts it on Nya's neck.

Nya gasps in shock and looks at Jay. "You're giving me your scarf?"

"I want you to remember me. Every time you wear it, it'll remind you of me. So, will you accept my gift, Nya?" Jay asks, smiling at her.

"I'll accept it and treasure it always." Nya says to Jay. "And I wanted to give you this at the party, but there was never a good time." She pulls out a lightning-patterned sweater from a box she brought with her.

"Nya...I love it..." Jay says, smiling at Nya. "I'll treasure it and wear it often! It'll definitely remind me of you."

"I'm glad you love it..." Nya says to Jay.

Nya falls asleep against Jay, smiling and not caring about the city noise around them.


End file.
